About Michael Berkens

Michael Berkens, Esq. is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheDomains.com. Michael is also the co-founder of Worldwide Media Inc. which sold around 70K domain to Godaddy.com in December 2015 and now owns around 8K domain names . Michael was also one of the 5 Judges selected for the the Verisign 30th Anniversary .Com contest.

Comments

The problem you are describing in connection with blogging per se actually applies to nearly all upstream content related activities by third party authors. The internet, or more properly the world wide web, is in a post-domain naming phase. One of the first intimations of this was the ICANN gTLD right-of-the-dot mess. There will always be persons wanting to speculate on domain name purchases, but that’s about it: flipping domain names. What blogging (for the most part except for a few professional bloggers) is really about is digital share cropping, generally for third party platforms. End user/content share croppers eventually wake up and realize they are almost certainly wasting their time. My guess is that domain speculators will also wake up and eventually realize they are also wasting their time and money. The gold rush that persons like Rick Schwartz and Frank Schilling took advantage was fine, so long as it lasted. It’s over! Period.

Thanks to everyone who has/continues to share without expecting anything in return 🙂 please don’t underestimate the impact each of you have had on many inviduals – thank you for your kindness I’m delighted to know many of you 🙂

It’s a lot like raising a child, Mike. When a child is young, they need you, and are supported by you. When they are teens, they go to through a period where they feel they know better than you and, at times, even hate you. At some point later in life as adults, life teaches them to reflect on the past and present and then reality reveals itself. At that point they will appreciate all that you’ve done. That comes with time. The domain business and the web are still young.

In the end, you contributed to something that will last forever. The truth.

Exactly right, Michael. Many new folks have no idea of the rich wisdom that they are losing with the retirement of these amazing mentors who have shared their profound ideas and strategies so freely.

The masters have tried at great cost in time and philanthrophic effort to share their knowledge and have been heckled off the stage by newcomers who think they know better.

But unlike the teenager who finally comes around – these folks will find that it’s too late for redemption ; the domain masters’ mentoring ship has sailed and is unlikely to come back. It’s a sad thing to watch.

2016 was not the year of the monkey, it was the year of the troll. Bullies & trolls roamed everywhere, they are still on the loose. If we want a better world it’s up to us to make it better, giving up isn’t an option. My action plan was and still is: Talk less, do more. I believe in this hostile troll environment, many are choosing the same path.

To say there are no good domain blogs is a lie. I would say people like Cultra and Elliot and your own writer here Raymond have shared plenty of info that is worthwhile. You mostly posted news Michael, I never remember you telling people what you were investing in and how to make money.

I started reading thedomains.com daily once Raymond became a regular here. Big domainers took their millions and either went into hawking new gtlds or are living the good life, you certainly are not philanthropists.

Great post Michael…..and I heartily agree with you. There are a lot of trolls out there but there are also some really insightful new domain investors that are really wanting to learn. I’ve been writing whizzbangsblog.com for the past 10 years and will continue to do so. I find that writing articles is often a way for me to think more broadly about the domain industry and what we really do.
One of the things that I find is that domaining is one of those rare industries where the number of opportunities is continuing to expand…..not contract. Yes….we have the basic business models of traffic, sales and development but there is so much more beyond that. This is what keeps me interested in the domain industry….the possibilities are endless and writing about them is a joy and a pleasure.
Cheers!

TheDomains and SevenMile were my favorite blogs years ago, you could depend on them for consistent wisdom, actionable intelligence and insights. And really really good writing at times, as this post demonstrates. (That’s a strong compliment Michael from someone with a Major in English Literature!)
I’m always looking out for snippets of information which are often overlooked. In this post, you could almost overlook the line:
“You find you’re spot, the place you can make money and live it, be it; stay with it.”
That’s something I’m doing (with brandables) but newer domainers can learn from that. Find your niche.
It reminds me of a rare interview master investor Peter Lynch did not too long ago. He said something like: “invest in what you know, if you’re in steel, you’ll know about a move in iron ore before I do.”
It was great while the golden age lasted. Now, you have to work harder, but there’s still good info coming from people mentioned above, and writers like Konstantinos and Doron and others. Not to mention some of the commenters on various blogs.
Since domain competition is fierce it’s great that certain people have generously shared so much in the past. Your contribution is truly appreciated Mike.

Mike, I believe you started before 2000.
From 2002 to 2007, DNForum was the premier forerunner of the bloggers. DNF had just about everything daily what bloggers do today. Plus, if you were fortunate to be on it, there was a tremendous amount of daily information and advice on Rick’s board.

To an extent Francois from Domaining.com has a major part in making or breaking a new domain blog. There are many new Domain Blogs that exist but fail due to lack of exposure which in turn leads to the writer(s) giving up after a while instead of sticking to it. A new domain blog needs to be on the Domaining.com feed to become successful and gain readership in this industry but Francois always demands big upfront payments to get on the feed. When I was at Lovelogo we were churning out decent fresh content week in week out but needed the inclusion to the Domaining.com to get traction, but Francois refused until we paid $1000 and then once we did we got much more exposure. When the Lovelogo website was sold, Francois took it off the feed again without warning until the new owner paid another amount(not sure how much it was) to get re-listed which the new owner declined and eventually abandoned the blog.
So, there are quite a few domain blogs out there which are churning out decent content but can’t afford the listing fee and as a result don’t get the impetus to drive on.

i’ve always appreciated the blogs even though i have at times criticized. reading them is a part of my daily routine for years now. though really, the biggest and best domains got into domaining long before most had heard of it. that is the best advice to being successful, get in before everyone else.

Michael’s blog has always been an extremely important source of industry news as is DNW and DNJournal. Plus many surprising insights, and inspiration for new ideas. I try to visit the blogs each day to gain a quick overview of what’s happening in the industry. Blogging is indeed time consuming. The people, like Michael, that did it so prolifically, for so long, are very much appreciated – for their dedication, but also for their incredible successes.

I’ve had the privilege of working in several different industries over the course of my life and one of the things that makes the domain industry so special is the amount of public sharing of tips and advice by bloggers like Michael and Elliot and Kevin and Shane (and Rick and Frank in the past). We all owe them a big “thank you” for their efforts, and I admire their thick skin for putting up with the haters and trolls. You don’t have to agree with their opinions, but they deserve our respect for their willingness to share.

Hey Michael. Here is an idea. Why don’t you write a book or ebook about the domain business & strategies and SELL it? I asked for your advice on a domain book a few months back via email and you had one recommendation for me. It is a thin market that needs some help. That way at least you would get something back. I would definitely be a Buyer.
Or how about a part-time consulting business for Domainers, etc.?????

Retirement is Death. One has to stay busy doing something. Besides laying on a beach or by the pool every day sucks. Why not still stay busy and make another coin out of it? You can never have enough money or anything else in this world as the Eyes are never satisfied and the Flesh is never fulfilled.

I will take this post as an opportunity to Thank you for everything you have done for our industry.

Few years ago, I had such a hard time understanding the value of domain names and how they work. I did make money back then. However I have left a lot of money on the table. I started flipping ccc and 4L .com for a small roi.

Long story short, your blog helped me a lot. I have learned: how to value names, resale value, end user value, how to stay away of trademark domains, how registries and registrars works, domain trends, where to buy and where to sell, when to buy and when to sell. The list goes on and on.

I have made a sweet mid $xx,xxx ROI last year. I am now a full time investor.

All of this because I have followed your blog. You also linked me to other trustful blogs and resources that kept me motivated to become a successful domain investor.

You have changed my life, in a good way.

Once again, thank you for your all your generous and precious time put into our industry.

great post michael. I don’t think this is limited to domains. In general, the entire character of public online discussion has changed. There is too much negativity / polarization out there — it’s not worth the aggravation. For the record, I love your “tell it like it is” style.

I definitely appreciate the blogs and told one of the most famous of them privately in email not that long ago about just how much. I could elaborate further but I’m shy. Well sometimes that is. 🙂 If anyone does not appreciate this particular blog as one of the best in the industry then, well, they’re nuts or something.